Boyfriend, 49, accused of beating up woman

LEESBURG -- A 49-year-old man remained in the Lake County Jail on Wednesday after police said he beat his girlfriend -- breaking her ribs and fracturing bones -- on Valentine's Day.

James D. Johnson of Leesburg was arrested Tuesday and charged with kidnapping, aggravated battery and aggravated assault. He was being held without bail.

His girlfriend told police she didn't know what set Johnson off between 1 and 2 a.m. when he started punching her in the face, according to an arrest report. She said he choked her until she passed out.

The woman, whose name was not released, tried to escape from the room where they were living at DeLuxe Motel on North 14th Street. She told police he slammed the door on her hand, knocked her down and kicked her in the back, chest and stomach.

This went on for several hours, the woman told police. At one point, Johnson grabbed scissors and threatened to kill her. He cut her hair and tried to cut her ear and nose, the report said.

She tried to kick at the walls so a neighbor would call police, the woman said.

When Johnson passed out about 6:30 a.m., his girlfriend escaped, police said. She walked to a friend's house, and the friend called police. Paramedics took her to Leesburg Regional Medical Center.

An examination showed the woman had broken ribs and possibly a fractured skull and a broken wrist, according to the report. She also had burns on her arm from a cigarette and a lighter. The woman told investigators Johnson tried to set her hair on fire, the report said.

Johnson denied hurting the woman and told officers she might have been beaten by someone else. He said scratches on his face were caused when he walked into a tree branch. When asked why his girlfriend had his skin under her fingernails, he told police that she picks at his blackheads.